Rachel Reeves must keep promise to ease business rates burden, say retailers

Plea comes as analysis warns of 2.7bn tax rise mainly affecting smaller retail, leisure and hospitality firms

The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has been urged to keep her promise to ease the pressure from business rates on high street businesses amid warnings of a looming 2.7bn tax hike that would mainly hit smaller retail, leisure and hospitality firms.

More than 252,000 shops, cafes, pubs, restaurants and businesses such as bowling alleys are likely to see a big step up in the property tax from April next year when a 75% relief up to a cap of 110,000 will end, according to analysis from the real-estate intelligence firm Altus Group.